‘Tis the season to enjoy time away from work to be with family and friends. Until I blog again in 2015, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
A.U. Bankaitis
‘Tis the season to enjoy time away from work to be with family and friends. Until I blog again in 2015, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
A.U. Bankaitis
In the spirit of the holiday season, here is my list of the Twelve Guest Posts of Christmas including hyperlinks to each specific post. While it was very difficult to choose, these guest represent some of the most popular, informative, and/or thought-provoking nuggets of information useful to every audiologists or AuD student. Oh, and by the way, if you really don’t have time to click and read any or all of the twelve of these fabulous posts, check out the bonus read by my buddy Gus Mueller at the end of the list……….very entertaining indeed. Merry reading to all and to all a good night!
1. Going Back to Audiology Roots – guest blog post by Robert Sweetow
2. HEY! WAKE UP, Audiologists! The Future is Here – guest post by Jerry L. Northern
3. To Bundle or Not to Bundle? – guest post by Debbie Abel
4. Hearing Aids Made for iPhone – guest post by Jennifer Groth
5. Ear Impression Have Gone Digital with the AURA 3D Ear Scanner – guest post by Brian Fligor & Andrew McGrath
6. If You Build It #Audpeeps, They Will LIKE! – guest post by Dana Drady
7. PSAP or a Hearing Aid? – guest post by Wayne Staab
8. All This Noise About Noise! – guest post by Laurie Wells
9. Hearing aids for children (and adults) with auditory processing disorder: thinking outside the box? – guest post by Francis Kuk
10. New Tool for Treating Patients with CAPD – guest post by Gail Chermak, Frank Musiek & Jeffery Weihing
11. What Level of Hearing-Aid Technology is Best for Children? – guest post by Ryan McCreery
12. Development of High-Fidelity, Safe-Listening Earphones – guest post by Patricia A. Niquette
Bonus read for your reading enjoyment: Making the Best of My Limited Hobbies – guest post by Gus Mueller
When planning a backpacking trip to India, there are certain “must haves”, outside of your clothes, that should make the final cut in your limited packing space: 1) bug spray, 2) a mobile pharmacy, and 3) earplugs (for sure). Being an audiologist, I assumed that I had this one covered but one trial night with the large-sized standard earplugs was enough to convince me that not all earplugs are created equal. I decided to call my good friend, Dr. A.U. Bankaitis of Oaktree Products, and ask her opinion on which ones I should take. Her immediate reaction was let me send you some to try and you tell me ones are your favorites. Sweet! Oaktree Products is that kind of business….the kind where relationships are important and customers’ opinion mean something.
So, in the plugs went and I was ready to take on this exotic land. Delhi, India is a good 16 hours in the air from Denver and if I was going to survive the jetlag, I would have to sleep on the plane. British Airways was kind enough to offer noise-cancelling headphones, but the combination of earplugs and headphones proved to be the best option. From the moment we stepped out of the airport, we learned very quickly that India has no dimmer
switch. The cacophony of sights, sounds and smells can be overwhelming and my senses
were absolutely working overtime. We traveled by taxi, rickshaw and train, two of which were overnight trains. At the hotels, there were dogs barking, traffic noise, and people talking and moving about at all hours of night. Actually, in several towns, I would also add feisty and loud monkeys to that list! Needless to say, sound suppression was the only way we were going to get the needed sleep and downtime from the constant barrage of sounds.
My travelling companions and I felt like the Howard Leight Max Lite earplugs were the best. They were soft, squishy and easily inserted properly into the smaller ear canals. They had very good sound suppression and stayed inserted and in place, even through the tossing and turning of trying to sleep on the overnight trains. We used them multiple times and when other plugs fell short, I found myself reaching for the Max Lite earplugs. The Howard Leight Max 33 earplugs were probably the best for sound suppression but they tended to fall out when sleeping. The Moldex Pura-Fit 6800 earplugs were too big for most of our female ears and because of this, they fell out quite a bit. While they did block noise, they were uncomfortable. The E-A-R Classic Foam standard-size earplugs were probably my least favorite. They were cylindrical and hard. I honestly didn’t wear them for more than 30 minutes before going back to the Max Lites.
After the experience, the best advice is make sure you have earplugs that are not too big and are soft enough that you don’t feel pressure or discomfort. I am so grateful to have had the chance to try them on such a fantastic trip. On a side note, since coming home, I also found the Max Lites to come in handy with my snoring husband. Guess you don’t really have to travel half a world away to find some quiet bliss!
Dr. Rudden is a Board Certified Doctor of Audiology and the owner of Longmont Hearing & Tinnitus Center in Longmont, Colorado. She has been in private practice for 16 years. Prior to this, Dr. Rudden worked in an ENT practice, in a hospital location and in the school setting. She served as the Vice President of Professional Issues for the Colorado Academy of Audiology from 2007-2009. Dr. Rudden is currently the Social Media Mentor for AuDConnex. She is a 200 hour Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) and a 300 hour Certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher. Because of this background, Dr. Rudden utilizes a holistic approach to patient care and tinnitus treatment, often using her expertise in yoga, pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation to bring additional tools to the patients she works with in her practice. Connect with and/or follow Dr. Rudden via any or all social media channels including Twitter @AudioDocRudden, The Longmont Hearing & Tinnitus Center Facebook Page, Google+, and Instagram at AudioDocRudden
Wishing you a very peaceful and happy Thanksgiving!! While I am thankful for many things, this year I am most thankful for being able to spend Thanksgiving with family, in particular my oldest sister “Bunki” in Boulder, CO. This past year has been quite challenging which makes this year’s holiday very special. This precious gift of time is something I will eternally cherish. What are you most thankful for this year?
It is that time of year again where we are asking you to vote for the 2015 Oaktree Products Catalog cover. Unlike previous years, potential catalog submissions were open to the public, providing the opportunity for any willing participant to submit a catalog cover concept this year. From a total of 12 submissions, it has been boiled down to four potential covers pictured below. Select the ONE catalog cover you like the most and then scroll down and click the VOTE button at the bottom of the ballot. This poll will close on Wednesday, November 26, 2014 at 5:30 pm CST. So, you have just one week to vote! The cover with the most votes wins and the person submitting the winning catalog will win some cash! Don’t delay and cast your vote today!
NOTE: stock images used for mocks up will be purchased and necessary verbiage will be added to the winning cover to ensure the Oaktree Products name and associated information is listed as on past catalogs.
When short-staffed, I occasionally sit in the “pit” with the Oaktree Products’ customer service team to take customer calls. I honestly don’t mind as it makes me re-appreciate how hard they work every day. It also keeps me honest, forcing me to do my homework so I can accurately relay information to our customers about any of the 4,000+ products Oaktree Products offers. It also exposes me to some interesting scenarios like the one I actually experienced yesterday with a potential customer. The conversation went something like this, abbreviated to make my point:
A.U.: Hi, this is A.U., how can I help you?
Customer: Hi, this is Dr. So-And-So and I need to order an amplified stethoscope that will work with hearing aids.
A.U.: What is your account number or the name of your practice?
Customer: I don’t have an account with you; I am actually a physician and my audiologist told me to call you to order an amplified stethoscope that will work with my hearing aids….
The rest of the conversation involved explaining that Oaktree Products does not sell directly to the public (i.e. the audiologist’s patient) and, despite being a medical professional, it was imperative for this audiologist to be involved in this process as it is highly likely that part of the solution will require reprogramming of his hearing instruments. Furthermore, it was recommended for several solutions to be readily available to determine the best solution for his particular situation since there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.
While many audiologists may not have a lot of experience finding an amplified stethoscope for hearing instrument-wearing medical professionals, there are no shortcuts in this solution arena. The audiologist plays a critical role in this scenario and the buck must stop with the audiologist, not the end-user. Why? Heart and breath sounds are very low-frequency sounds. In many instances, the listening needs of the practitioner as dictated by audiometric configuration differ significantly from the listening needs of that same practitioner during routine auscultation procedures. As a result, a low-frequency emphasis hearing aid program is often necessary. Furthermore, since the frequency response of hearing instruments in the low frequencies is typically not sufficient to adequately reproduce body sounds for differential diagnosis, counseling the patient on what to listen for (i.e. breath sounds may sound more like clicks) to make them more proficient in this listening configuration is key. Accessibility to several potential product solutions is highly recommended since there is not one-size-fits-all solution.
For more information on amplified stethoscopes for hearing instrument wearing medical professionals, be sure to check out the following resources:
Articles accessible on-line: Amplified Stethoscope Options For Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss
Posts published on various Blogs: Quick Reference on Amplified Stethoscopes for Hearing Aid Wearers; Amplified Stethoscopes & Hearing Instruments – Current Solutions; Stethoscope Options for Hearing Aid Users; Using a Stethoscope with a Cochlear Implant; Options for Using a Stethoscope with Hearing Aids
Free-to-view recorded webinars: Amplified Stethoscope Options for Professionals with Hearing Loss
Amplified Stethoscopes offered by Oaktree Products: E-Scope with hard-wire connection to streamer; E-Scope II with Traditional Headphones; E-Scope II with Oversized Headphones; ViScope with Standard Earpieces; ViScope with Convertible Headphones, and other stand-alone amplified stethoscopes
Daylight saving time will end this upcoming Sunday whereby clocks will “fall back” officially at 2:00 am local time for those areas observing this practice. It was originally adopted by many countries as a means to conserve fuel during World War I. The main motivation for adopting daylight savings was to essentially save money. With this time change just around the corner, it seems appropriate to remind my fellow #audpeeps of how they can “fall back” into some sweet deals on popular hearing healthcare products for some real savings. Looking for an electronic impression gun? Need a good headlamp with magnification? Don’t want to pay full price? Keep reading.
The Oaktree Outlet Store offers slightly used products at pretty super-duper mark-down prices. While the products are not technically new, every product offered through the Oaktree Outlet Store has been tested and confirmed fully functional with the condition of the merchandise and packaging fully disclosed in the product description. As items are sold, they are replaced quickly with other items reserved for the Oaktree Outlet Store; you may want to consider checking out these goodies on a pretty consistent basis (i.e. every Friday) as offerings change pretty quickly. To check out the latest deals with pricing information, log into your account at the Oaktree Products login page, and the select OUTLET STORE from the blue menu bar on the left hand side of the page. You can also ask customer service about current deals when calling in to place your regular orders. Happy Oaktree Outlet Store shopping!